kitbashed headend equipment

[doctorwayne]

Since I've already strayed from the original topic of headend cars, I'll continue today with a diner. This one's not much of a kitbash either. Other than the reworked underbody, and the addition of diaphrams and air conditioning duct, the only changes to this Rivarossi car are the addition of the stove pipes and a facia strip covering the upper part of the two-part windows. There is also a very basic interior made from sheet and strip styrene. Incidentally, all of these passenger cars were originally ballasted to between 12 and 15 ounces, which gave them a very solid rolling quality. Unfortunately, this probably would have resulted in premature wear to the bearing holes in the plastic sideframes, so all cars were reworked to a weight more in line with NMRA recommendations.

Dining car Magnetawan

Still to come: business cars and smooth-sided cars.

Wayne

 

[MasonJar]

Wayne...

I was not much interested in passenger service, until you got me hooked... One of my favourite passenger pictures is the CN trains that used to run into Algonquin Park. Any chance you've got any onfo on them?

As always - great work!

Andrew

PS - Did you get my email?

 

[doctorwayne]

Andrew, about the only information I have on the Algonquin Park trains is in Ian Wilson's book Steam at Allandale. A quick scan showed a list of assigned locos, but no particular mention of the car types, names, or numbers. I'd guess that it would have been mostly wooden coaches and baggage cars, but maybe someone else can expand on this. While I enjoy many aspects of the CNR, I can't claim to be an expert, and almost all of the information that I do have is the result of viewing books, magazines, and photos loaned to me by cn nutbar. I'll call him and see if there's anything that he can add.

Wayne

 

[cn nutbar]

algonquin park trains

hi andrew---doctor wayne called me to see if i had any info. regarding your request---i couldn't find any photos,but i did come across a painting by wentworth folkins from a book titled:the great days of canadian steam---a wentworth folkins portfolio---text by wentworth folkins and michael bradley---isbn 0-88882-101-8,publisher:anthony hawke

the print is titled:algonquin park station,ontario 1935
it shows cn mogul #674 and it's partial consist---it appears the passenger equipment is modern(circa 1935) and maybe steel rather than wood,also there does not appear to be truss rods on the cars---hopefully this helps

 

[doctorwayne]

As promised (threatened), a couple of business cars for your harried rail barons and industrial tycoons.
First up is the Elora Gorge & Eastern's 80' Tyandaga, a converted Rivarossi heavyweight observation car. The car is pretty much stock, with the addition of wire grabirons, fabricated brass steps and a diaphram from American Limited. A couple of windows were plated over with sheet styrene to accomodate the floor plan. The interior has been divided into rooms and corridors, with very basic details and window shades added. The underbody is completely reworked, with details from PSC, New England Rail Service, and many scratchbuilt details.

EG&E subsidiary Grand Valley rosters a more modest car, Rockhaven, for its executives, although still several cuts above coach class. This car started out (about 40 years ago) as an Athearn NYC observation car. It spent some years in CPR maroon (Humbrol enamel applied with a brush), before being stripped down and having about 15' removed from the centre of the car. It languished, in pieces, in the box for many years before being rediscovered.
After reassembling the remaining end pieces, I fabricated a new floor from .060" styrene, adding ice-activated air conditioning from NERS, PSC brake gear, and some battery boxes in white metal from an unknown source (Walthers?). The usual metal steps and grabirons were added, plus some interior partitions top prevent that "see-through" look, and a diaphram from American Limited for the front end. The a/c ductwork is scratchbuilt from thin styrene sheet.
Both cars were airbrushed with Accupaint CNR Green #11, and lettering from C-D-S alphabet sets, along with some light weathering, completed the cars.

Wayne

 

[MasonJar]

Nice work Wayne...

And thanks very much toyou and CN Nutbar for that Algonquin info - sorry I did not see it before!

Andrew

 

[cn nutbar]

another buisness car

hello---here's another car that wayne created for the canadian national

 

[Clerk]

Wayne does such a beautiful job on these head end cars :thumb: :thumb:

 

[doctorwayne]

Perhaps cn nutbar can provide a little more info on this car. If I recall correctly, we were unsure of the parentage of this car, so if anybody can provide that information, it would be appreciated. My contribution to this car was to clean it up a bit (mostly minor repair), plus add the trucks and some new underbody detail. The end railings are from Athearn, the paint is SMP Accu-paint, and the lettering is by C-D-S.

Wayne

 

[Scoobie]

Great pics & work Doc. Spectacular as always:thumb:

 

[cn nutbar]

mystery car

i really can't add much to the parentage of this model--- i bought it at a train show --- i put it down and picked it up several times before i purchased it---the car reminded me of a picture i had seen of cn's buisness cars---i was really pleased when i saw the results of wayne's work---the car looks very much like it's prototype #44

 

[doctorwayne]

Still no pictures yet of those smooth-sided cars that were supposed to be next, so here's a headend car that's about as "head-end" as you'll find anywhere. A couple of these pictures are posted in another thread in this forum and I've added a couple of new ones here too.

The car is a gas/electric self-powered postal/baggage/coach, belonging to the Grand River & Northern Lake Erie, or as it's usually known, the Erie Northshore. The locals dubbed it "The Bee" when it first buzzed into town, and it now appears in the timetable as such.

The car started life as a Rivarossi combine. A couple of windows were added, then a section of body was cut out near the front end, turned end-for-end, and reinstalled. Extra doors were added as required and new windows built for the front end. The exhaust stacks on the roof for the cross-wise mounted 6 cylinder prime mover are from Detail Associates, with radiator details from MDC, and fairing by New England Rail Service. Lots of other detail parts from D.A., Details West, PSC, and CalScale. The pilot is from a Bachmann Northern. The car features a detailed underbody and an interior. The front truck, frame and fuel tank is from an Athearn F-7, with C-Liner sideframes from Detail Associates. Power is a Mashima can motor driving the front truck only, with additional power pickup via the rear truck. The "Bee" will pull 6 or 7 cars easily, although an extra coach or a reefer is her usual train when business is heavy.

Here's a shot of her on the "Old Main" in Dunnville, passing by the Bertram Machine Works. About a half mile from here, she'll reverse onto the "High Line", to gain access to the station, just visible to the right above and behind Bertram's.

I hope that you've enjoyed learning about the "Bee".

Wayne

 

[Clerk]

I may not post very often but that doesn't mean I don't like your shots.
The equipment is fantastic along with the photos. :thumb: :thumb:

 

[cn nutbar]

hi doc---excellent photos---we're you using your birthday present????

 

[doctorwayne]

Thanks, guys. The photos are only new to this thread: they're still older photos from my daughter's camera. My computer doesn't have the capacity to run the software that would allow me to download pictures from my new camera, so it may be a while before anyone, me included, gets to see them.

Wayne

 

[doctorwayne]

Finally, after a long wait, the smooth-sided passenger cars. They're not really kitbashed either. I've included views of the diesels normally assigned to the train, named the River Wind, as they are in a matching paint scheme.

E9A (Model Power) This is a stock unit, with some added detail parts. The striping and lettering on the entire train is SMP Accupaint AP-52 (CP Rail Action Yellow), while the main body colour is a custom mix of Testor's Model Master colours.

E7B (Phase II) (Model Power) This unit was built from two A-units, with many of the body panels replaced to allow installation of see-through air intake screens.

72' Baggage/Express car 2015 (Concor) One of two similar cars (2014) based on a National Steel Car prototype. Some added details, and Kadee couplers added.

Windsong (Rivarossi) 64 seat coach - All cars have Pikestuff seats and scratchbuilt interior partitions, with other scratchbuilt details as required. Some added exterior details, plus Kadee wheels and couplers, and added weight.

Windspirit (Rivarossi) 72 seat coach

Windstalker (Rivarossi) 36 seat diner

Winddancer (Rivarossi) 56/16smoking seat coach

Windrush (Rivarossi) domed coach/lounge The dome cars have the stock Rivarossi interior, painted.

Windwhisper (Rivarossi) 3 single bedroom/3 double bedroom/cafe/lounge

Windpacer (Rivarossi) domed coach/lounge

Windshadow (Rivarossi) compartmented coach/lounge/observation

Windshadow - rear view

Wayne

 

[Glen Haasdyk]

Those are great, where did you come up with the 'wind' series of names?

 

[RonP]

very impressive.

 

[doctorwayne]

Thanks, guys, for taking the time to view this. Glen, I'm not really sure where the name came from, although there were/are several "name trains" in the U.S. that used "Wind" as part of the name. I didn't indicate it in the captions, but some of these cars, and their names, are the second use of the name: the first cars were sold off some time ago, but I keep an all-time roster of all the cars and locos of my own free-lanced roads.
This train was put up for sale at a nearby hobby shop, and was put on lay-away for a buyer, who later failed to come up with the cash. Its style, plus the diesel motive power doesn't really lend itself to my current layout, which is a secondary line set in the 1930's, so it spends most of its time in its carrying box. I may do a few photos on the boxes, but I'll probably put it in a separate thread.

Wayne

 

[Glen Haasdyk]

Wayne, Through baggage boxcar 11078 has CDS decals, could you remeber what decal set they came from or are they a mix of a couple sets. since they're yellow, they don't look like the regular boxcar decals.